Reality
by AliceReidCaffery26
Summary: He was shot and killed right in front of the people who mattered to him the most. They couldn't save him even though they had tried their hardest. Now it's time to face reality, but can they handle it or will they just fall to pieces? Why did the bad things always happen to him? Why not someone more deserving of it? But of course there are no answers when one of them is left dead.


**DISCLAIMER- I OWN NOTHING OF CRIMINAL MINDS. This is set in season 2 episode 15 when Reid is kidnapped by Tobias.**

Spencer's POV

I grabbed the gun out of habit, but didn't really intend to use it because I knew that the team was close by and would reach us before I was forced to use the gun against Tobias. I didn't really think about the fact that he had a gun until he said, "That gun only has one bullet son," and then before I could fully comprehend what was going to happen he had already pulled the trigger. The pain came immediately from my chest and I knew without conviction that I was either going to die here or die on the way to the hospital, but I knew with conviction that my team would be there when I passed to the dead. I could hear someone shouting at Tobias and I could hear feet running towards me, but it was like I wasn't really there. The last thing that crossed my mind was how was my mom supposed to take the news of her only son being shot and killed?

Morgan's POV

"F.B.I PUT THE GUN DOWN TOBIAS!" I yelled at Tobias. I was terrified because we all heard a gun go off and then when we find Tobias, Reid is on the ground bleeding and Tobias looks like he just killed his best friend. I couldn't tell where Tobias shot Reid, but I could tell that it was a dangerous shot because otherwise Reid would have shot him back. When we put the cuffs on Tobias' hands I ran over to Reid and put his head on my lap.

"Hey there Pretty Boy, it's me your friend Derek Morgan and I'm here to help you out because you have been hurt. If you can hear me flex your hand, but if it hurts then just try to blink or speak or something to let us know that you are okay," I pleaded with Reid. After a few seconds of getting a response I turned to Hotch and yelled, "We need medical help and we need it now because Reid's been shot and he won't respond to me. Hotch we have to save him, we have to keep him safe from bad people, I was supposed to make sure something like this didn't happen to him. Hotch I failed him and if he doesn't make it I don't know what I'll do."

"Morgan, you need to stay calm and know that we will save Reid and that we won't have to hold another funeral for one of our own. I know what you're going through because I am going through it too, we need to keep positive and help stop the flow of blood because it will be another minute before the medics get here," Hotch told Morgan.

Morgan felt Reid tighten his grip so he looked down and said, "That's it Pretty Boy, just hold my hand and keep a tight grip, everything will be okay, you will be okay, and by this time tomorrow we will both be eating jell-o as you complain about losing time for reading. Pretty boy, just don't ever let go of my hand because if you do I don't know what I'll do with myself, with all the guilt of breaking my promise to keep you safe forever," Morgan said as the tears finally started to make their way down his face.

"Mo…rg….a…n, it…..'s o…k….ay… I do….n't…..bla…..me yo…..u…" Reid said as the last bit of strength left his body and his grip slackened.

"Reid, Reid. Please don't do this to me. Please! REID! I CAN'T LOSS YOU LIKE THIS! PRETTY BOY PLEASE!" Morgan yelled as he started to sob. Hotch saw that Morgan was losing it and he helped him into a car and hugged him because he understood what Morgan was going through because he too was going through the same thing.

Off in the distance they could hear the approaching ambulance that would hopefully save their youngest, brightest, smartest, etc. friend that was like a little brother/son to everyone. The emergency medical technicians got to Spencer and went to work on trying to stop the blood flow and then a few seconds after they arrived one of them said, "I can't find a pulse…" and that's when the whole team got hit by the reality that they could lose their friend.

Since Dr. Spencer Reid was in such a rough state the EMTs wouldn't allow any of the team to ride in the ambulance for fear of them just getting in the way or losing their head if Reid died in the ambulance. The team gathered into their cars, put their lights on so that they didn't have to stop for anything, and followed the ambulance to the hospital and sat in the waiting room to hear of any changes about their friend.

"If I had only told Reid that splitting up at the barn was a bad idea and that we needed to stick together then none of this wouldn't have happened and we wouldn't be standing in a hospital waiting room to hear if he is dead or not. I should be fired for not keeping my partner safe, for letting him get kidnapped, for letting him get shot, and if he dies then not only should I be fired, but I should go to jail to," JJ sobbed as she sat in the waiting room.

Hotch looked at her and said, "JJ, this isn't your fault, there was nothing you could have done to keep Reid from going to the back and him getting kidnapped and there is no way you should be blamed for Reid's death. I won't fire you because you made a split decision that didn't go the way you thought it would, things like this happen all the time and each time Reid pulls through."

Before anyone else could respond the doctor came in with a terrible look on his face, "Dr. Spencer Reid's family," they all stood and he walked over to him, "I regret to inform you all that while on his way to the hospital Spencer lost too much blood. We did an emergency blood transfusion, but his body rejected the blood. He didn't survive the surgery to get the bullet out of his chest. I'm so sorry for your loss. If there is anything that we can do to make it any easier on you…" the doctor trailed off as he saw everyone break down and cry.

Morgan took it the worse and yelled, "DAMMIT! THE KID WAS ONLY 28! HE DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE THIS WAY! HELL THE KID DIDN'T DESERVE TO DIE AT ALL! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO WAKE UP IN THE MORNING KNOWING THAT I LET MY BEST FRIEND DIE!" Morgan started to punch the wall.

Hotch grabbed him and sobbed, "Morgan, please stop you're only making this harder for everyone else. Reid's gone and there is nothing we can do about it, nothing we could have done to prevent it and I know how badly it hurts because I just lost not only a member on my team, but someone I thought of as a son. Reid meant the world to everyone on this team, he was the one person that didn't deserve a fate like this, but Morgan yelling and punching walls won't bring him back!"

JJ was a sobbing mess on the floor and just couldn't except the fact that the one friend she absolutely cared about was lying dead on a hospital bed somewhere in the hospital. She didn't want to have to plan a funeral for the one person in the world she would have done anything for; she didn't want to have to wake up to know that she would never see Reid again. She knew that if she let reality set in that she would never be able to look at herself because she knew in her heart that Reid's death was because she let him go to the back of that stupide barn, that she let Tobias kidnap him.

A few days later.

Hotch called everyone and announced that Reid's funeral was supposed to be help in the next few days and that Morgan, Gideon, and himself would be some of the pallbearers and that he would appreciate it if everyone from the team dressed with the nicest things they have and to prepare speeches about Reid. The entire team had gotten the next few weeks off so that way they could come to terms about Reid's death and that way they would be able to be their best on their cases. It was like a silent code that no one was to bring up Reid, something that Reid would have said or done, or even brought up the fact that Reid was dead and that they would never again see him.

The day of the funeral.

Morgan stood up to give his speech to honor Reid, "Dr. Spencer Reid was the one person in the world that I would move heaven and Earth for because he was a selfless person who never did anything in the benefit of just himself. He was the one person who would get shot to save someone from being shot, he would stay behind in a burning house to try to save a person, and he would always jump in front of danger to save somebody else. Spencer was not just a best friend to me; he was also a little brother that I swore I would protect even if my life was the cost. I just want to say to everyone here today that I'm sorry I broke my one and only promise, I'm sorry that I failed to protect him, and I'm very deeply sorry that we are all here because I couldn't protect him. No one deserves a fate to be kidnapped, tortured, and then shot and killed, but it's even worse when that someone is a person who did nothing wrong and paid the wrong price. Dr. Spencer Reid will be missed every second of everyday and his death will leave permanent scars on everyone gathered here today," by the end of his speech Morgan was in tears and could barely conceal his shaking.

Next, JJ stood up to give her speech, "Dr. Spencer Reid was a person that is so rare to find and he was an original that no one compared too or could even come close to. In my lifetime he was the only person that would gladly be shot then some innocent or not so innocent person that he barely even knew. When he was in pain or hurt he kept it to himself because he didn't want to burden us with worry over him, he never wanted attention to be drawn to him, and he only ever hated people who truly deserved it. Not once did I see Spencer show aggression to someone who was undeserving of it, not once did I see Spencer hate someone over something so stupid, and not once did I see Spencer be shellfish. Spencer and I didn't always get along, but when he was angry at me I knew that I was doing something wrong and that I needed to change. Every day I will miss him so much that it will hurt, every day I will cry at the thought of Reid, and every day I will regret letting Tobias get within a mile of him," JJ finished as the tears kept falling from her face.

Hotch noticed that by now everyone in the entire room was in tears because they had all just lost the most amazing person in their lives. "I would like to say that Dr. Spencer Reid touched everyone's heart that he came into contact with, he changed how they viewed the world, and most importantly he changed how people saw themselves. Spencer meant everything to everyone around him because he was an amazing person that is so rare to find nowadays, he was something so special that everyone knew he was a great person. We will all miss him every day of our lives because we know in our hearts that there is no one out there that can compare to Dr. Spencer Reid and we know that he can never be replaced. We all have good memories of him that we will keep close to our hearts and I know that we will never recover from the loss of him, but we have to remember that he would want us to be healthy and happy even though he's not here with us. I would like to have a moment of silence to respect Dr. Spencer Reid and all the memories we have of him," Hotch finished as he bowed his head to show respect.

At the gravesite.

As they lowered the casket that held Dr. Spencer Reid everyone started to sob uncontrollably because they all finally accepted the fact that he was never coming back, that he wouldn't show up at the office on Monday, that he wouldn't send another letter to his mom, and that he would never show another person that they can change. Everyone knew that life would go on even though Dr. Spencer Reid wouldn't be a part of their lives. For the next few years to come not one single member of his team was the same and even after years passed the pain never lessened and the loss never left them. Every month they would all go visit his gravesite to pay their respect and every month they cried over the loss of the most important person they knew.

**Tell me what you think of my first ever one-shot where one of the characters died. R&R if you like this story and tell me if I should try to write another chapter or another story where Reid didn't die or something like that. No flames please.**


End file.
